128 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



where the herd had been last seen. The wind had so 

 far been favourable, but it was a cloudy day and there 

 was every chance, we knew, of a change at any moment. 

 However, the thing had to be risked, so we crept care- 

 fully down till about the same level as the herd, and then 

 went on hands and knees towards a small ridge which 

 separated us from it. From there we could only see 

 two females. Evidently the rest were amongst the pines 

 and cedars around. 



Leaving: Abdulla to look for the old male, we 

 crawled back, the coolie and I, fearful of being seen ; but 

 the wind just then changed, and the effect was immedi- 

 ately fatal. A few minutes later Abdulla crept back to 

 us, and simply saying, "Look ! " pointed to the whole herd 

 streakinof across the snow towards a hioh bluff which 

 rose on the line of the range a little to the south of 

 where we were. Evidently they had winded us and 

 were off, led by the old buck, a regular patriarch, whose 

 horns stood out well against the snov/, the sight makino- 

 me, for the hundredth time, anathematise myself for 

 having let him off when I had him in my power a few 

 hours before. However, we had not so far been seen, 

 and as there was just a chance that we might get a shot 

 from some high rock, if the herd elected to go down- 

 wards, we waited till the last straggler had disappeared 

 over the bluff, and followed as fast as we could. 



It must be remembered that this bluff was the 

 highest point in that neighbourhood of the line of hills 

 which formed the eastern side of the nala in which my 

 camp lay, and that the herd had gone over the eastern 

 edge of the bluff, and therefore presumably down into 



